Lip moving mechanism for a doll or the like



Oct. 24, 1961 D. coHN LIP MOVING MEOHANISM FOR A DOLL OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. zo, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LIP MOVING MECHANISM FOR A DOLL OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 30, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent York Filed Jan. 30, 1956, Ser. No. 562,197 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-135) The present invention relates to structure particularly `adapted for the manual control of movement of the lips of a doll or the like between positions close to and remote from one another, thus simulating speaking or sucking.

It is not novel per se to provide a doll with movable lips and to provide means under the manual control of the user of the doll so as to cause those lips to move. However, the structures of the prior art designed vfor such use have in the main been complicartemexpensive and unreliable. They have, moreover, generally involved a restriction in the ready movability of the doll head on the doll body, a feature which represents an appreciable sales drawback.

In adoll capable of taking in a quantity of liquid, through a nipple or otherwise, and then simulating various bodily functions such as wetting or crying integration of the lip moving Vmechanism with the liquidguiding structure has presented a particular problem. It is most advantageous to provide for movement of the lips to simulate sucking, that movement actually facilitating the intake of fluid by the doll through a nipple inserted between the lips. However, the characteristics of the lip moving mechanism as conceived in the past have had no particular relation to the characteristics of the liquid-guiding mechanism within the doll, and, generally speaking, one type of mechanism has generally interfered with the proper functioning or design of the other.

According to the present invention the above disadvantages are avoided. A lip moving mechanism is provided which is simple and dependable, which may readily be manufactured from a small number of easily fabricatable and `assemblable parts, and which, when incorporated into a doll body, does not restrict movability of the doll head on the body, but instead moves right along with the head with no appreciable loss in function or mode of opera-tion. Indeed, the mounting of the lip moving mechanism on the doll body, far from inhibiting the rotatability of the doll head with respect to the body or hampering the mounting of the head on the body, instead facilitates the positioning of the head and serves in part as a support and guide for the head when the latter is rotated. The lip-moving mechanism in addition functions at least in part as an internal rigidiiication for the head when the latter is formed of tlexible material. Further, the structure and arrangement of the `lip moving mechanism is such that it can very readily be modified without any impairment of its lip-moving Ifunction so as also to serve at least in part as means for guiding fluid'from between the lips into the body of the doll.

\ These results are accomplished by providing, within the doll head, a pair of lipanoving elements which are operatively connected to the lips and which are articulately mounted so las to be movable toward and away from one another, `the lips moving therewith. The operative connection between these elements and the lips may be positive or may be dependent at least in part on the inherent resiliency of the material of which the lips are formed, that resiliency tending to keep the lips engaged with the elements. Elsewhere in the doll, and preferably in the body thereof, are means operatively connected to said elements to move them toward and away from one another and thus cause the lip to move. The lip-moving elements, together with the moving means therefor, are mounted on a support which is in turn mounted on the doll, preferably at the neck area thereof. Where rotatability of the doll head is desired, rthis support is rotatable relative to the doll body, and since the lip moving elements are operatively connected to the lips they will move when the head is moved and the support will move along therewith. Thus the support and the elements carried thereby serve to rigidity and guide the head without impairing its rotatability. Since the moving means for the lip'moving elements will also rotate with the support, it will be apparent that the doll lips can be moved no matter in which rotative position the head may be placed. If desired, a passageway may be formed in the support which communicates with the interior of the doll body, and a tube may be connected between that passageway and the exterior of the head between the lips. Through this tube and passageway fluid from a nipple inserted between the lips will pass into the doll body. Hence when the support rotates with the head the ability of the doll to take in fluid will also be substantially independent of the rotated position of the head on the body.

The simplicity of the structure involved, both insofar as the parts themselves are concerned and the facility with which those parts may be assembled with one another and `with the doll, together with the sturdiness of the unit, makes it exceedingly valuable from la commercial point of view.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other `objects as may hereinafter appear, the present in vention relates to mechanism for moving the lips of a doll as dened in the appended claims, and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a side elevational view of a doll constructed according to the present invention, the doll being shown nursing :from a bottle with a nipple;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional View, on an. enlarged scale, of one embodiment of the present invention with the parts shown in the position which they assume when the lips are open;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the parts in the position which they assume with the lips closed;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but with the head of the doll rotated ninety degrees with respect to the body; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing another modication of the present invention.

The doll in conjunction with I'which the prment invention is adapted to be used comprises a body 2 on which a head 4 is mounted. Suitable limbs 6 may be provided, as is conventional. In the form here specilically disclosed, both the head 2 and body 4 are formed of some suitable form-retaining but resiliently deformable material such as rubber or vinyl plastic material. The body 2 is provided with a neck portion 8 having a rim 10, and the hea-d 4 is provided at its undersurface with an aperture 12 which may be expanded to slip over the rim 10 and which will then contract so as to substantially engage the outer surface of the neck portion 8 beneath 'the rim 10, as is conventional, thus rotatably mounting the head 4 on the body 2.

insofar as the present invention is concerned, the only aspects of the head 4 which are of any special significance are that the head is provided with upper and lower lips 14 and 16 which are movable toward and away from one another, those lips, in the form here specifically disclosed,

i being integral with a bulbous part 18 integrally formed with the head 4 and extending into the interior of the head 4, a mouth cavity 20 being defined inside the bulb `18, that cavity opening onto the exterior of the head 4 between the lips 14 and 16. In the embodiment of FIGS. 2-4 the inherent resiliency of the material of which the lip area and the head 4 is formed is such that the lips 14 and 16 normally tend to assume a separated or open position as shown in FIG. 2.

The interior of the neck portion 8 of the body 2 is provided with an aperture 22 within which a rigid sleeve 24 is snugly received, that sleeve 24 having a rim 26 which overlies the rim of the body 2 and which may be iixedly secured thereto by any appropriate means, as indicated at 28. The sleeve 24 is tubular, having a central passage 30 therethrough of circular cross section, and rotatably mounted in the passage 30 is a support member generally designated 32 which may comprise a cylindrical body portion 34 loosely received within the passage 30 and rotatable therein and having a flange 36 received over and rotatable on the iiange 26 of the insert 24. The support member 32 may be formed of any suitable molded plastic material, for example, and has extending up therefrom an extension 38 from which an arm 40 extends rigidly toward the front of the head 4 and over the top of the bulb 18, the tip of the arm 40l having a finger 42 extending downwardly into engagement with the inside of the head 4 immediately adjacent the upper lip 14. A second arm 44 is provided within the head 4, one end of the arm 44 extending toward the front of the head 4 and having a linger 46 which engages the inner surface of the head 4 just beneath the lower lip 16. The other end 48 of the arm 44 angles upwardly and is bifurcated so as to extend on opposite sides of the extension 38, a pin 50 serving to pivotally connect the ends 48 of the arm 44 to the extension 38. As may be seen from FIG. 4, the arms 40 and 44, as well as the fingers 42 and 46, are of appreciable width, approximating the width ofthe mouth of the doll, and the end surfaces of the fingers 42 and 46 may be curved or otherwise configured as shown in FIG. 4, so as to conform to the desired shape of the doll mouth.

The support member 32 is provided with a slot 52 through which a lever 54 passes, that lever being pivotally connected to the support member 32 within the slot 52 at 56. One end 58 of the lever 54 extends up above the top of the support member 32 and into close juxtaposition with an exposed surface of the arm 44. That surface may be provided with a metal insert 60, held in place by rivets 62 or in any other appropriate manner, in order to provide for appropriate wear resistance. The lower end of the lever 54 extends down into the body 2 of the doll, and may be provided with a curved part 64 adapted to extend close to the inner surface of that portion 66 of the doll body 2 representing the front of the dolls abdomen. It has been found desirable, in order to facilitate manipulation of the lever part 64, to provide a cooperating arm 68 within the body 2 adjacent the back of the doll and connected, at 70, to the support member 32.

For cases where it is desired that the doll be of the wetting type the support member 32, including the extension 38, may be provided with a vertical passageway generally designated 72 which opens at its lower end into the interior of the doll body 2 and which, at its upper end, intersects with a cross bore 74 positioned opposite the mouth cavity 20. A blind tube 76 is adapted to be passed through the inner end of the bulbous portion 18 and through the cross bore 74 until the radial opening 78 therein comes opposite the passage 72. The end 80 of the tube 76, which is open, is in the mouth cavity 20. Consequently liquid may pass from the mouth cavity through the tube 76 and the radial opening 78 into and through the passage 34 and into the body 2 of the doll.

In the form here specically disclosed the extension 38 is not formed in one piece with the support member 32, but is instead provided with a narrowed tip portion 82 adapted to be received within the counterbore 84 in the support member 32.y A nipple 86 extends down from the counterbore 84 to below the bottom of the support member 32, and a rubber or plastic tube 88 may be connected thereto so as to convey liquid directly to the bottom of the doll body 2, thus to facilitate the wetting action of the doll. It will be noted that the upper end of the nipple 86 received within the counterbore 84 is spun over, and that the nipple 86 passes through an aperture in the portion 70 of the ann 68, the nipple 86 thus serving to hold the arm 68 in place.

The mode of operation of the structure above described will in the main `be apparent from a comparison of FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 2 represents the normal position of the parts. The characteristics of the material of which the head 4 is formed tend to cause the lips 14 and 16 to separate, and this in turn tends to force down the arm 44 until it rests on top of the support member 32. The lever 54 will thus be pivoted in a clockwise direction to its position shown. It will be noted that the cooperation between the arm 54 andthe support member 32 constitutes a firm bottom support for the lower lip 16, and that the arms 40 and 44 together constitute means for supporting the mouth portion of the doll head, and hence for assisting in the supp port and internal rigidiiication of the head proper.

When it is desired to move the lips .14 and 16 together, the arm 64 of the lever 54 is moved toward the back of the body 2, as by moving the arms 64 and 68 together, the iiexible nature of the material of which` the body 2 is formed permitting this action. This results in a pivoting of the lever 54 in a counter-clockwise direction about the pin 66 and thus relative to the support member 32, the upper tip 58 of the lever 54 rides over the insert 60, and the arm 44 is pivoted upwardly so as to close the dolls mouth, that is to say, so as to move the lower lip 16 toward the upper lip 14, this, of course, simulating the lip movement of a real person.

To cause the lips 14 and 16 to resume their open or spaced-apart position, itis merely necessary to release the arm 64, the resiliency of the material of which the lips 14 and 16 are formed thus causing the parts to assume once again the position shown in FIG. 2.

If a nipple is in the mouth cavity 20', as shown in FIG. l, the opening and'closing of the lips 14, 16 will cause spurts of liquid to emerge from the nipple, and that liquid will be conveyed directly from the mouth cavity 20 to the interior of the lbody 2 by means of the tube 76 and the passageway 34, together with the tubel 88, if used.

It will be noted that in this embodiment it is not necessary that the arms 40 and 44 be positively connected to the doll head `4 adjacent the lips 14 and 16. However, some such positive connection, such' as adhesive, eyelets or the like, could be employed if desired.

If the head 4 is rotated, as to the position shown in FIG. 4, in which it is looking over the left shoulder of the body 2, instead of straight ahead -as in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support member 32 and the various parts connected thereto will rotate with the head, the arm 64 moving to a position adjacent the side over which the head is looking and the arm 68 moving to a position adjacent the opposite side. With the doll head in the position shown in FIG. 4, movement of the lips may be accomplished byl compressing the doll from side to side, instead of from front to back as previously described. Otherwise, there will be no change in the function or mode of operation of the various parts.

Assembly of the structure in question is simple in the extreme. After the nipple 86 and arm 68 have been secured to the support member 32, the extension 38, to which the arm 44 has previously been pivotally secured merely by passing the pin 50 therethrough and through' the arm portions 48, is forced into place. A press t may be relied upon to retain it in place, but adhesive or plastic integration may he` employed if desired. The lever 54 is slid upwardly through the slot 52 andv is held in position by passing the pin S6 therethrough and through appropriate apertures in the support member 32. The

unit may then be inserted into the doll head through the bottom opening 12 thereof and the ngers -42 and 46 manually engaged with the lips 14 and 16. The tube 76 may then be moved into position from the outside of the front of the doll face and held -in place either by a press fit or, if desired, by some auxiliary securing means such as the speed nut 90. Then the head 4 is placed in position on the neck portion 8 of the body 2 while the arms 64 and 68 are passed into the interior of the body 2 and the support member 32 is seated on the insert 34, which has previously been applied to the body 2.

While in the embodiment of FIGS. 2 4 the resiliency of the lips 14 and 16 is relied upon to return the parts to their nonmal open-mouth position, a separate biasing means, such as a spring, might be employed either in place thereof or in addition thereto.

. iFIG. discloses a modified embodiment of the present invention in which the parts are arranged so that the normal position of the lips 14 and 16 is closed. 'I'his embodiment further discloses a structure in which there is a positive operative connection between the arms 40 and 44' and the upper and lower lips 14 and 16 respectively, that positive connection being provided by headed pins 92 which pass through the arms 44 and 44 respectively and are held in place by any appropriate means as by speed nuts 94.. In this embodiment the support member 32 is, as before, rotatably mounted in the insert 34, but is provided with a slot 52 extending almost completely diametrically therethrough. The arm 40', the tip of which is bent at right angles to the body thereof so as to extend over and along the upper lip portion 14, is of inverted L-shape, having a portion 96 extending down through the slot 52 in the support member 32 into the interior of the body 2 where a portion 98 thereof is again bent at right angles thereto and curved so as to extend along the inside of the back of the body 2. Pivotally secured to the arm 40 within the head 4, as by means of eyelet 100, is arm 102 from which the arm 44 extends, the tip of the arm `44 being bent at right angles to its body so as to extend along and under the lip portion 16. The arm 102 also extends through the slot 52 into the interior of the body 2 where its end 104 is bent at right angles and adapted to extend along the inner surface of the front of the doll body 2. A spring 106 is positioned within the body 2 and operatively connected to the arms 96 and 102 so as to separate them, thus causing the arms -40' and 44 to approach one another. Hence the normal position of the lips 14 and 16 is closed as shown. As the arm portions 98 and 104 are pressed toward one another, as through compression of the flexible body 2, pivoting will take place about the axis 100, the arms 40' and 44 will separate, and the mouth will open. In this construction, as in the previous construction, rotation of the head 2 on the body 4 will give rise to simultaneous rotation of the support member 32 and of the arms 96 and 102 and the parts carried thereby, so that movement of the doll mouth can be initiated at any time and for any rotative position of the head `4 relative to the body. It will be noted that in this embodiment the inherent resiliency of the lip portions of the doll head 4, if present, play no appreciable part in the operation or function of the device.

While but a limited number of embodiments of the present invention have been here disclosed, it will be apparent that many variations may be made therein, all within the spirit of the invention as dened in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A doll having a head and a body with a neck connecting them, the head and body being made of tlexible plastic material and the head having a socket therein representing the mouth of the doll, the socket being of substantial depth and forming a roof, back and bottom for the mouth, at least a portion of the body being hollow from the neck down, and at least a portion of the head being hollow from the neck up to a location behind the mouth socket, lips at the front Vof the mouth socket movable between an open and a closed position, the lips having a bias toward one position which constitutes the normal position of the mouth, a lip actuator in the doll comprising a rst lever having an upper portion above the mouth socket with its end against the inside of the upper lip, a second lever having an upper portion below the mouth socket with its end against the inside of the lower lip, a pivot connection joining the levers together at a location behind the mouth socket, each of the levers having a lower portion operatively connected thereto and extending downwardly through the neck and into the body of the doll, the lower portions of the levers diverging toward the front and back of the body, and the lower portions being biased away from one another and connected with the upper portions of the levers in such relation that movement of the lower portions toward one another moves the upper portions of the levers in directions to move the lips away from their normal positions, and means holding the actuator in position with the ends of the levers against the inside surfaces of the lips.

2. A doll `havinga head and body of flexible plastic material, the head and body being joined at a neck of the doll-andthe head having a mouth formed by lips and a socket with surfaces consisting of a roof, back and bottom of the mouth, the head `behind the mouth socket and downwardly to the neck being hollow and the body having a hollow portion extending from the neck downwardly for at least a part of the length of the body, a lip actuator comprising a first lever having an upper portion with an end against the inside surface of the head behind the upper lip, a second lever having an upper portion with an end against the inside surface of the head behind the lower lip, a pivot connection between the levers behind the Amouth socket, each of the levers having means operatively connected thereto and extending downwardly through the neck and into the hollow part of the body, the lower portions of said means diverging within the body, one portion toward the front of the doll and the other portion toward the back of the doll, means imparting a biasing to said means operatively connected to said levers to hold the lower portions of said means away from one another, and means holding the upper portion of the actuator in contact with the inside surface of the head behind the lips.

3. A doll having a head and a body with a neck connecting them, the head and body being made of flexible plastic material and the head having a socket therein representing the mouth of the doll, the socket being of substantial depth and forming a roof, back and bottom for the mouth, at least a portion of the body being hollow from the neck down, and at least a portion of the head being hollow from the neck up to a location behind the mouth socket, lips at the front of the mouth socket movable between an open andra closed position, a lip actuator in the doll comprising a first lever having an upper portion above the mouth socket with its end against the inside of and operatively connected to the lupper lip, a second lever having an upper portion below the mouth socket with its end against the inside of and operatively connected to the lower lip, a pivot connection joining the levers together at a location behind the mouth socket, said levers thereby being movable relative to one another, means operatively connected to eaeh of said levers extending downwardly through the neck and into the body of said doll, the lower portions of said means diverging respectively toward the front and back of said body, and said lower portions of said means being biased away from one another and connected with said levers in such relation that said lips assume a given position which constitutes the normal position of the mouth and relative movement of said lower portions of said means toward one another causes relative movement of the levers in directions to move the lips away from their normal positions, and .means holding the actuator in position with the ends ofthe levers against the inside surfaces of the lips.

4L The doll described in claim 3 and in which the means for holding the actuator in position constitutes a connector with a portion located in the mouth socket and extending transversely across the back of the mouth socket and' then through an opening in the back of the socket to a region near the pivot connection between the levers of the lip actuator, and in which the connector is secured to the lip actuator in the region of said pivot connection.

5. The doll described in claim 3 and in which the means for holding the actuator in position constitutes a connector having a forward portion located within the mouth socket `and extending across a portion of the back of the mouth socket, the connector having another portion which extends through an opening in the back of the 'mouth socket to a connection with the lip actuator, and the connectocr having a passage therein comm-unicating with the yinterior of the mouth socket and extending to an outlet behind the mouth socket for draining11 liquid from the mouth socket into the body of the do `6. The doll described in claim 3 and in which the actuator is held in position by a connector which has a portion located in the mouth socket and extending across a part of the inside surface at the back of the mouth socket, a rearwardly extending stem of the connector projecting through an opening inV the back of the mouth socket, means connecting the stem'with the lip actuator in the region of the pivot connection between levers of the lip actuator, the stem having a passage there-V through communicating with the mouth socket, and a'v tube connecting with the stem in communicationrwith the passage at a location behind the mouth socket, said tube extending downwardly through the neck of the doll for draining liquid from the mouth `into the lower part of the body of the doll.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Graham Aug. 26, 1924 

